Flame-producing ignition device



April 16, 1963 P. M. DAUGHERTY FLAME-PRODUCING IGNITION DEVICE Filed Sept. 28, 1959 :Ik @IIIIIIIIII-IIIIIIIIIII! FIG. 3

INVENTOR. PHILLIP M. DAUGHERTY 7g4 ff ATTPNEYS 3,085,411 FLAME-PRUDUCING IGNITIN DEVICE Phillip M. Daugherty, DecatunGa., assigner to Scripta, lne., a corporation of Georgia Filed Sept. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 842,687 Claims. (Cl. 6'7-7) -This invention relates to flame-producing ignition devices and more particularly to a lighter having a fuel reservoir, a fuel transfer means in communication with said fuel reservoir, a cover means normally isolating the fuel transfer means from the atmosphere, and a fluid fuel contained within the fuel reservoir characterized by its ability to ignite and burn spontaneously upon its exposure to the atmosphere.

In the past llame-producing pocket lighters employing a fluid fuel, which for example, have been used by individuals for lighting their tobacco products, were chosen from one of the following Vgeneral types: (l) a lighter, containing a supplyofliquid or gaseous fuel, that is ignition `of the fuel, such sparking means normally being a flint and sparkwheel assembly; (2) a lighter, containing a supply of uid fuel, that is equipped with a catalytic ignition means for effecting ignition of the fuel, such catalytic ignition means being normally an activated platinum sponge, wire, or grid; or (3) a lighter, containing a supply of fluid fuel, that employs electrical energy for igniting the fuel.

All of the above types of flame-producing pocket lighters require a separate ignition means for causing the ignition of its fuel supply, thereby necessitating a plurality of parts in their construction which are subject to deterioration and Wear.

' An object of the present invention is to provide a flameproducing ignition device or lighter of simple and economical construction that contains a supply of fluid fuel that ignites and burns spontaneously upon its exposure to the atmosphere. It is apparent that such a lighter eliminates the necessity of the separate and independent ignition means which has heretofore been required.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear more fully in the following description and examples, particularly when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a top plan view of an ignition device according to my present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the ignition device shown in FIG. 1 having a partial section to show the details of the displaceable closure means.

Referring now to the drawings, the ignition device or flame-producing lighter is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 and includes a main body portion 12 onto which a base plate |14 is removably secured and sealed by washer `15. A fuel cartridge 16 having a fuel reservoir portion 17 is disposed within the fuel cartridge housing 18 of main body portion 12. It is apparent that the fuel cartridge 16 may be easily inserted or withdrawn from the lighter 10 when the base plate 14 is removed. Within the main body portion 12 a vertical bore 20 is formed and fitted with a metal sleeve or insert 22 and sealed by washer 23. The inner portion 24 of sleeve 22 is formed as a sharp piercing tool 26 that protrudes into the fuel cartridge housing 18 a suicient extent so as to pierce the membrane 27 and enter into the reservoir portion 17 of the fuel cartridge 16 when the cartridge 16 is positively inserted within fuel cartridge housing 18. The membrane 27 of fuel cartridge 16 is made of elastic material so as to form a seal about the inner extremity vequipped with a separate sparking means for effecting ice 24 of sleeve 22 when the piercing tool portion 26 is inserted within the fuel cartridge 16. Also, the ap 29, being of elastic material, will close and re-seal the opening formed by the piercing tool 26 if for any reason the fuel cartridge 16 is removed from the fuel cartridge housing 18. A capillary fuel transfer means 28, such as a conventional glass type wick, is contained within sleeve 22. The upper extremity 30 of fuel transfer means 28 protrudes from the upper portion of the main body portion 12 and the lower extremity 32 of the fuel transfer means 28 extends to and is adjacent the end of the piercing tool portion 26 of sleeve 22,`

A displaceable cover means 34 is pivotall-y mounted on rod 36 at the upper portion of main body portion 12 and is normally biased by spring 38 to cover the upper extremity 30 of fuel transfer means 2S and seal it from exposure to the atmosphere. An operating bar portion 40 is formed at an outer portion of the pivoted cover means 34 so that a downward force exerted by the user moves the cover means against the force of spring 38 to expose to the atmosphere the upper extremity 30 of fuel transfer means 2S.

Within the reservoir 17 of fuel cartridge 16 is contained a supply of fluid fuel F characterized by the fact that it ignites and burns spontaneously when exposed to the atmosphere and because of this feature the construction of a lighter employing this type fuel must afford exposure of the fuel to the atmosphere only at a surface of intended flame production. When the lighter is not in use the sealing action of the cover means 34 excludes the atmosphere from the upper extremity 30 of the fuel transfer means 28 to prevent unintended fuel-air (atmosphere) contact.

It is readily apparent that the fluid fuel need not be a liquid but may equally Well be a gas as long as the fuel transfer means regulates the transfer of gas in a controlled manner from the reservoir to the surface of desired iiame production. The utilization of a gaseous fuel in some cases makes it desirable for the fuel transfer means to take the form of a valve arrangement.

Illustrative examples of fluid pyrophoric fuels that will perform satisfactorily in the ignition device of the present invention are as follows:

A. A pyrophoric liquid metal alkyl such as triethyl borane or tributyl borane;

B. A pyrophoric mixture of a combustible organic liquid and a liquid metal alkyl such as a solution of 60 parts liquid hydrocarbons, Amsco Lactol Spirits (a product of American Mineral Spirits Co., New York, N.Y.) and 40 parts triethyl borane;

C. A pyrophoric gaseous metal alkyl such as trimethyl borane;

D. A pyrophoric mixture of a combustible gas and a gaseous metal alkyl such as 60 parts butane and 40 parts trimethyl borane; and

E. A pyrophoric gaseous mixture such as a mixture of phosphine and diphosphine.

It is also readily apparent that while fuel cartridge 16 employing a supply of fluid pyrophoric fuel is more readily handled by the individual user, the refilling of the lighter employing a iiuid fuel, other than by a replaceable fuel cartridge, may be accomplished by introducing into the fuel reservoir 17 an inert gas such as nitrogen, then replacing under an inert atmosphere the inert gas with a pyrophoric fuel or mixture and then sealing the reservoir from the atmosphere.

The present invention has been described in detail above for the purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A flame-producing portable lighter comprising a main body portion including therein a fuel reservoir, a fuel transfer means of capillary dimensions in full open position disposed in said main body portion having its inner extremity in communication with said fuel reservoir and its outer extremity adapted for exposure to the atmosphere, a displaceable control means positioned on said main body portion for normally sealing said transfer means from the atmosphere, and a supply of fuel contained Within said reservoir, said fuel being a pyrophoric uid that ignites and burns spontaneously producing nontoxic products of combustion upon exposure to the atmosphere under normal atmospheric conditions and said control means being manually operable to expose said pyrophoric Huid to the atmosphere.

2. A flame-producing ignition device as claimed in claim 1 and further characterized in that said pyrophoric fluid fuel is a liquid metal alkyl.

3. A llame-producing ignition device as claimed in claim 2 and further characterized in that said liquid metal alkyl is triethyl borane.

4. A llame-producing ignition device as claimed in claim 2 and further characterized in that said liquid metal alkyl is tributyl borane.

5. A flame-producing ignition device as claimed in claim 1 and further characterized in that said pyrophoric iluid fuel is a mixture of a combustible organic liquid and a liquid metal alkyl.

6. A name-producing ignition device as claimed in claim 1 and further characterized in that said pyrophoric fluid fuel is a gaseous metal alkyl.

7. A flame-producing ignition device as claimed in lclaim 6 and further characterized in that said gaseous metal alkyl is trimethyl borane.

S. A flame-producing ignition device as claimed in claim 1 and further characterized in that said pyrophoric fluid fuel is a mixture of a combustible gas and a gaseous metal alkyl.

9. A flame-producing ignition device as claimed in claim 1 and further characterized in that said pyrophoric uid fuel is a gaseous mixture of phosphine and diphosphine.

l0. A flame-producing ignition device as claimed in claim l and further characterized in that said fuel reservoir is formed in a removable cartridge that may be replaced when said supply of fuel becomes exhausted.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,538,627 Pearl Jan. 16, 1951 2,675,689 Wassern et al. Apr. 20, 1954 2,867,081 Kimmel Ian. 6, 1959 2,959,007 Gregory et al. Nov. 8, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 599,380 Great Britain Mar. 1l, 1948 950,348 France Mar. 21, 1949 OTHER REFERENCES Blexams Chemistry Inorganic and Organic, Eleventh edition, published in 1923 by P. Blakistons Son and Co., 1012 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa., page 206 relied on.

Trialkyl Boranes, a publication by the Callery Chemical Company, Feb. 9, 1959, found in Class 52, Subclass 0.5B. Information on this publication may be obtained by Writ-l ing 9600 Perry Highway, Pittsburgh 37, Pa. 

1. A FLAME-PRODUCING PORTABLE LIGHTER COMPRISING A MAIN BODY PORTION INCLUDING THEREIN A FUEL RESERVOIR, A RUEL TRANSFER MEANS OF CAPILLARY DIMENSIONS IN FULL OPEN POSITION DISPOSED IN SAID MAIN BODY PORTION HAVING IS INNER EXTEEMITY IN COMUNICATION WITH SAID FUEL RESERVOIR AND ITS OUTER EXTREMITY ADAPTED FOR EXPOSURE TO THE ATMOSPHERE, A DISPLACEABLE CONTROL MEANS POSITIONED ON SAID MAIN BODY PORTION FOR NORMALLY SEALING SAID RANSFER MEANS FROM THE ATMOSPHERE, AND A SUPPLY OF FUEL CONTAINED WITHIN SAID RESERVOIR, SAID FUEL BEING A PYROPHORIC FLUID THAT IGNITES AND BURNS SPONTANEOUSLY PRODUCING NONTOXIC PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION UPON EXPOSURE TO THE ATMOSPHERE UNDER NORMAL ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS AND SAID CONTROL MEANS BEING MANUALLY OPERABLE TO EXPOSE SAID PYROPHORIC FLUID TO THE ATMOSPHERE. 